Since 2 January 2025, Spain has had a new national registration requirement for short-term rentals of furnished residential properties. This legislation, which provides a transition period until 1 July 2025, aims to bring more regulation to both seasonal rentals and tourist rentals offered through online channels.
Read more about this registration requirement here.
Clarification around the new registration number
Recently, discussion arose among online service providers about the general registration requirements for short-term rentals with online advertising. Central to this discussion is the introduction of the 'Número de Registro Único de Alquiler' (NRUA), a unique registration number for rentals. The Spanish Colegio de Registradores (the official association of property registries) recently published on this subject published an important clarification, delineating the exact scope of this new obligation.
Only mandatory when using booking platforms
The gist of this clarification is that the NRUA only required for short-term rentals (contracts of less than one year) when rentals are made through online platforms that facilitate the entire transaction. This refers to platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com, where tenants not only view the ad, but also complete the booking and sign the contract online.
Properties advertised through other channels - such as traditional advertising sites or a private website - where the contract is established outside the platform, fall outside this national obligation.
Supplement to regional rental licences
A major concern is the relationship between the national NRUA and the already existing regional rental licences (licencias turísticas). The NRUA constitutes a additional national obligation and does not replace regional rental licences. Owners who already hold a regional rental licence must still apply for an NRUA if they offer their property through online booking platforms.
The two systems fulfil different purposes:
- the regional permits regulate tourism standards and quality requirements,
- the NRUA Creates transparency and central registration for online rental transactions.
Proper compliance to avoid sanctions and expulsion
Compliance with these new regulations is essential to avoid sanctions from the Spanish government and the removal of ads on online platforms. Owners are responsible for requesting the registration number and transmitting it to the online platforms on which the property is offered.
In turn, the platforms themselves - such as Airbnb and Booking.com - are obliged to verify the validity of these numbers through regular, random checks. Renting without a valid registration number can lead to removal of the advertisement and fines imposed by the government.
Read more about the obligations of booking platforms here.
